Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 40 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. What does Elizabeth tell Jane the morning after their return home?

   • She reveals the whole of Darcy's letter, including every detail of how he persuaded Bingley to give up Jane
   • Correct answer: She relates the chief of the scene between Mr. Darcy and herself, suppressing every particular concerning Jane
   • She confesses that she now loves Darcy and deeply regrets refusing the proposal he made to her at Hunsford
   • She describes her six weeks at Hunsford and the dinners at Rosings but says nothing of the proposal or the letter

   Elizabeth relates "the chief of the scene between Mr. Darcy and herself" but resolves "to suppress every particular in which her sister was concerned," protecting Jane from learning about Bingley's side of the story.

   Read the passage
2. 2

   Question 2. How does Jane respond to learning that Darcy proposed to Elizabeth?

   • She is confused and skeptical, questioning whether Darcy was sincere or merely testing Elizabeth's character
   • She is angry that Elizabeth refused such a wealthy match and lectures her about financial security for the family
   • She is entirely unsurprised because she had long suspected Darcy's feelings and had been waiting for the news
   • Correct answer: Her astonishment is lessened by sisterly partiality, but she grieves for Darcy's unhappiness at being refused

   Jane's astonishment was "soon lessened by the strong sisterly partiality which made any admiration of Elizabeth appear perfectly natural." She was sorry Darcy expressed himself poorly but "still more was she grieved for the unhappiness which her sister's refusal must have given him."

   Read the passage
3. 3

   Question 3. What part of Darcy's letter does Elizabeth share with Jane?

   • She reveals only the passage about Georgiana's near-elopement and keeps all other contents strictly private
   • She reads the entire letter aloud, including Darcy's explanation for separating Bingley from Jane last autumn
   • Correct answer: She shares only the sections concerning George Wickham, withholding everything about Bingley and Jane
   • She paraphrases the letter's general tone but refuses to share any specific details about either Wickham or Bingley

   "She then spoke of the letter, repeating the whole of its contents as far as they concerned George Wickham." Elizabeth carefully withholds the half about Bingley to protect Jane from further pain.

   Read the passage
4. 4

   Question 4. How does Jane attempt to process the revelations about Wickham?

   • Correct answer: She earnestly labors to prove the probability of error and tries to clear one man without condemning the other
   • She refuses to discuss Wickham any further and turns the talk to Elizabeth's own feelings about Mr. Darcy instead
   • She at once accepts every word Darcy wrote and denounces Wickham as a villain who is not worthy of anyone's trust
   • She dismisses the letter as lies born of jealousy and insists that Wickham's good character cannot be questioned

   "Most earnestly did she labour to prove the probability of error, and seek to clear the one without involving the other." Jane's characteristic desire to think well of everyone makes her struggle to accept that either man could be truly bad.

   Read the passage
5. 5

   Question 5. What does Elizabeth tell Jane about choosing between Darcy and Wickham?

   • She advises Jane to consult their father, who has better knowledge of both men's financial circumstances
   • Correct answer: She says there is only enough merit for one good man between them, and Jane must choose which one to believe
   • She insists they should confront Wickham directly and demand his version of events before drawing conclusions
   • She says Jane must suspend judgment until they can gather more evidence from independent witnesses in Meryton

   "Take your choice, but you must be satisfied with only one. There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man; and of late it has been shifting about pretty much."

   Read the passage
6. 6

   Question 6. What does Elizabeth observe about goodness versus the appearance of it?

   • Correct answer: She notes that one has got all the goodness and the other all the appearance of it, contrasting real virtue with charm
   • She argues that neither man has any true goodness, since both have behaved with pride and selfishness toward her family
   • She concludes that a pleasing manner is always a safe guide to character, if one only watches people closely enough
   • She says Darcy and Wickham are equally good men at heart, who merely show their virtue in very different ways in company

   "One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it." This encapsulates the novel's central theme: Darcy has genuine virtue beneath a reserved exterior, while Wickham's charming manner masks dishonesty.

   Read the passage
7. 7

   Question 7. What does Elizabeth admit about her former dislike of Darcy?

   • She says her dislike grew gradually from a series of legitimate offenses he committed against her family's dignity
   • She maintains her original dislike was correct but says she now understands his perspective somewhat better
   • She claims her dislike was entirely justified by his rude comment about her at the Meryton assembly ball
   • Correct answer: She admits she meant to be uncommonly clever in disliking him without reason, calling it a spur to wit and genius

   "I meant to be uncommonly clever in taking so decided a dislike to him, without any reason. It is such a spur to one's genius, such an opening for wit, to have a dislike of that kind." Elizabeth acknowledges her prejudice was self-serving rather than justified.

   Read the passage
8. 8

   Question 8. Why does Elizabeth decide not to expose Wickham's true character publicly?

   • She wants to wait until she has physical proof of Wickham's misdeeds rather than relying on Darcy's word alone
   • She fears Wickham would retaliate by spreading false rumors about the Bennet family throughout Meryton
   • Correct answer: She believes Darcy did not authorize disclosure, Georgiana's secret must be kept, and no one would believe her anyway
   • She thinks exposing Wickham would embarrass Darcy and ruin any chance of a future relationship between them

   Elizabeth gives multiple reasons: Darcy did not authorize disclosure, details about Georgiana must stay private, "the general prejudice against Mr. Darcy is so violent" that no one would believe her, and Wickham will soon leave with the regiment.

   Read the passage
9. 9

   Question 9. What is Jane's charitable reason for agreeing not to expose Wickham?

   • Correct answer: She believes exposing him might ruin him forever, and he may now be sorry for his actions and seeking to reform
   • She argues that Wickham's offenses are a private matter between him and Darcy and are no concern of anyone in Meryton
   • She thinks it is their father's place, not Elizabeth's, to warn the neighbors in Meryton about Wickham's true character
   • She worries that public exposure would harm the Bennet family's good name far more than it would hurt Wickham himself

   "To have his errors made public might ruin him for ever. He is now, perhaps, sorry for what he has done, and anxious to re-establish a character. We must not make him desperate." Jane's compassion extends even to Wickham.

   Read the passage
10. 10

    Question 10. What secret does Elizabeth still withhold from Jane after their conversation?

    • That Wickham attempted to elope with Georgiana Darcy and nearly ruined her reputation before being discovered
    • Correct answer: That Darcy's letter explained Bingley's true feelings for Jane and how Darcy had influenced their separation
    • That Lady Catherine de Bourgh explicitly ordered Darcy never to propose to anyone beneath his social station
    • That Darcy offered to pay off all of Mr. Bennet's debts as part of his marriage proposal to Elizabeth

    Elizabeth "dared not relate the other half of Mr. Darcy's letter, nor explain to her sister how sincerely she had been valued by her friend." She believes only "a perfect understanding between the parties" could justify sharing this knowledge.

    Read the passage
11. 11

    Question 11. What does Elizabeth observe about Jane's feelings for Bingley once she is settled at home?

    • Jane is angry at Bingley for abandoning her and has resolved never to forgive him for his cruel treatment
    • Jane has moved on from Bingley and is actively interested in meeting other eligible gentlemen in the neighborhood
    • Correct answer: Jane is not happy and still cherishes a tender first attachment to Bingley, using all her good sense to suppress her regrets
    • Jane is cheerful and content, having accepted that Bingley was never serious and feeling relieved to be free of him

    "Jane was not happy. She still cherished a very tender affection for Bingley." Her regard had "all the warmth of first attachment" and "greater steadiness than most first attachments often boast," and she needed all her good sense to check her regrets.

    Read the passage
12. 12

    Question 12. What does Mrs. Bennet declare about Bingley before immediately contradicting herself?

    • She says Bingley will certainly return to Netherfield, then admits she has heard nothing to suggest he is coming back
    • She claims Jane is better off without Bingley, then says Jane will die of a broken heart without him
    • She says she never liked Bingley, then recalls several occasions when she praised him enthusiastically to neighbors
    • Correct answer: She says she is determined never to speak of him again, then launches into extended commentary about him and Jane

    Mrs. Bennet says she is "determined never to speak of it again to anybody" and claims she told her sister Phillips so. She then immediately calls Bingley undeserving, says Jane has no chance, and predicts "Jane will die of a broken heart."

    Read the passage
13. 13

    Question 13. What bitter remark does Mrs. Bennet make about the Collinses and Longbourn?

    • She accuses the Collinses of being extravagant spenders who will bankrupt the estate before Mr. Bennet even dies
    • Correct answer: She supposes they often talk of having Longbourn when Mr. Bennet is dead and says she would be ashamed of an entailed estate
    • She threatens to contest the entail in court and claims her brother Gardiner has found a legal way to break it
    • She criticizes Charlotte for marrying Mr. Collins only for his money and calls the match a loveless arrangement

    Mrs. Bennet says "I suppose, they often talk of having Longbourn when your father is dead. They look upon it as quite their own" and adds "I should be ashamed of having one that was only entailed on me." Elizabeth says the subject was never mentioned before her.

    Read the passage
14. 14

    Question 14. What does Elizabeth mean when she says "the liberty of communication cannot be mine till it has lost all its value"?

    • She means she will be free to discuss the letter publicly only after Wickham has left the regiment and moved away
    • She means the letter's contents will lose their shocking power as time passes and memories of the events naturally fade
    • She means her knowledge of Darcy's feelings will only become shareable once Darcy himself has moved on entirely
    • Correct answer: She means she can only tell Jane about Bingley once Bingley has already told Jane himself, making her information redundant

    Elizabeth reflects that she can only share Bingley's feelings for Jane "if that very improbable event should ever take place" -- a reconciliation. At that point, "I shall merely be able to tell what Bingley may tell in a much more agreeable manner himself." The information becomes worthless once it is no longer a secret.

    Read the passage
15. 15

    Question 15. What comfort does Elizabeth gain from her conversation with Jane about Darcy and Wickham?

    • Correct answer: She is relieved to share two secrets that had weighed on her for a fortnight and to have a willing listener in Jane
    • She realizes that she must write to Darcy at once, to apologize for her harsh words and thank him for his honest letter
    • She decides to return to Kent as soon as she can, to speak with Darcy directly and clear up their misunderstanding
    • She gains confidence that she was right to refuse Darcy and feels proven correct in her first judgment of both men

    "The tumult of Elizabeth's mind was allayed by this conversation. She had got rid of two of the secrets which had weighed on her for a fortnight, and was certain of a willing listener in Jane, whenever she might wish to talk again of either."

    Read the passage